Yirmeyah 13

1. Thus saith Hashem unto me, Go and buy thee a linen [i.e., priestly] ezor (belt) and put it around thy waist, and put it not in mayim.

2. So I bought the ezor (belt) according to the Devar Hashem, and put it around my waist.

3. And the Devar Hashem came unto me the second time, saying,

4. Take the ezor that thou hast bought, which is around thy waist, and arise, go to Parah (Josh 18:23 [Hebrew for Euphrates is Perat]), and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

5. So I went, and hid it in Parah, as Hashem commanded me.

6. And it came to pass at the end of yamim rabbim, that Hashem said unto me, Arise, go to Parah, and take the ezor from there, which I commanded thee to hide there.

7. Then I went to Parah, and dug, and took the ezor from the makom where I had hid it; and, hinei, the ezor was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

8. Then the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

9. Thus saith Hashem, After this manner will I mar the ga’on Yehudah (pride of Judah), and the great ga’on of Yerushalayim.

10. This evil people, which refuse to listen to My words, which walk in the sherirut (stubbornness) of their lev, and walk after elohim acharim, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this ezor, which is good for nothing.

11. For as the ezor has deveykus with the waist of an ish, so have I caused to have deveykus unto Me kol Bais Yisroel and kol Bais Yehudah, saith Hashem; that they might be unto Me for a People, and for Shem, and for Tehillah, and for Teferet: but they would not hear.

12. Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this Davar; Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Every wine jar shall be filled with yayin; and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every wine jar shall be filled with yayin?

13. Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Hashem, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of HaAretz Hazot, even the melachim that sit upon the kisse Dovid, and the Kohanim, and the Nevi’im, and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, with shikkaron (drunkenness).

14. And I will dash them one against another, even the avot and the banim together, saith Hashem; I will not pity, nor spare, nor have rachamim, but destroy them.

15. Hear ye, and give ozen (ear); be not proud: for Hashem hath spoken.

16. Give kavod to Hashem Eloheichem, before He cause darkness, and before your raglayim stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for ohr, He turn it into the tzalmavet (shadow of death), and make it gross darkness.

17. But if ye will not listen, my nefesh shall weep in secret places for your ga’avah (pride); and mine eye shall weep profusely, and run down with tears, because the Eder Hashem (Flock of Hashem) is carried away captive.

18. Say unto HaMelech and to the Gevirah (Queen mother), Humble yourselves, sit down; for your rule shall come down, even the ateret (crown) of your tiferet (glory).

19. The cities of the Negev shall be shut up, and none shall open them; Yehudah shall be all carried away into the Golus, it shall be wholly carried away into the Golus.

20. Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the tzafon (north). Where is the eder (flock) that was given thee, thy tzon tiferet?

21. What wilt thou say when He appoints over thy leaders those whom thou thyself has taught, to be thy rosh? Shall not chavalim (pangs) seize thee, as a woman in travail?

22. And if thou say in thine lev, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine avon (iniquity) are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels violated.

23. Can the Kushi (Ethiopian) change his ohr (skin), or the namer (leopard) his spots? Then may ye also do tov, that are accustomed to do rah.

24. Therefore will I scatter them as the chaff driven by the ruach of the midbar.

25. This is thy goral (lot), the portion of thy measures from Me, saith Hashem; because thou hast forgotten Me, and trusted in sheker (falsehood).

26. Therefore will I uncover thy skirts over thy panim, that thy shame may appear.

27. I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy zenut (whoredom), and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Yerushalayim! Wilt thou not be made tahor (clean)? Until when?